THE outgoing chief executive of a Cumbria media organisation is to receive a 'lifetime contribution to Cumbria' award. 

Robin Burgess is to retire from the role with CN Group early next year. 

CN Group is the business behind The Evening Mail, The Cumberland News, the News & Star, and a host of other newspapers, magazines, websites and radio stations. 

Mr Burgess, who retires in January, is the fourth generation of his family to be involved in the business, which marked its 200th anniversary this year. 

Under his leadership, CN Group has evolved from being solely a newspaper publisher into a fully-fledged multi-media business operating in Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and south-west Scotland. 

He will receive the award from chamber chief executive Rob Johnston at the CN Group Business Awards on October 21. 

Mr Johnston said: “It would have been easy for him to have sold out to one of the national newspaper chains, but Robin Burgess has kept a valuable asset to the county under local ownership. 

“That's not easy in an industry that's going through fundamental change, and it is his single greatest achievement. 

“He has done it through some really testing times, through the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 and the recent financial crisis when the economy was hammered. 

“He has shown exceptional business acumen.” 

Mr Johnston added: “CN Group's publications are not also-rans, they are award-winning titles. Every time a CN Group title wins an award in London, it says something positive about Cumbria.”